


Persona Y

by VelvetBat (LenoirWhittlethorn)



Category: Youtubers, markiplier - Fandom, persona - Fandom
Genre: Adventure, Brief Language, Crossover, Gen, scary imagery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-27
Updated: 2015-09-10
Packaged: 2018-04-11 11:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4433105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LenoirWhittlethorn/pseuds/VelvetBat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumor has it that anyone who plays a particular creepypasta game called 'Mephisto' will never be the same again. Admist his fans' warnings, Markiplier plays the game. He has one year to defeat the boss and free himself. With the help of his friends, it shouldn't be too hard, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1-Let's Play

_I dreamt I was a butterfly. I couldn’t tell I was dreaming, but when I woke, I was I and not a butterfly. Was I dreaming that I was the butterfly, or was the butterfly dreaming that it was me?_

_Even if there’s a difference between the butterfly and I, the distinction isn’t absolute. And there is no relationship of cause and effect…_

_-Soshi_

 

* * *

 

 

The world was upright when Mark opened his eyes and it wasn’t comforting. There was something unsettling about the room he stood in, whether it was the poor lighting or the red walls, he couldn’t discern. A hand clasped his right shoulder and he tensed up, but the warm expression of his best friend’s face appeared soon after. Hoping that speaking would dissipate the growing uneasiness of the room, Mark spoke up.

 

“Jeeze, Wade, ever hear about announcing your presence?” He scolded, though he was relieved to see Wade.

 

“Hi Markiplier, I’m here.” Wade greeted with a grin and dodged a light slap from Mark.

 

“Quit calling me ‘Markiplier’, you’ve known me before that.” Mark smiled as he watched Wade make goofy faces as a mature response. In the back of his mind, Mark knew the tension got heavier, despite the cheerful exchange.

 

“Well, Mark,” Wade emphasized with a bad posh accent, “you’re late.” The room felt smaller and even Wade’s smile didn’t reassure Mark anymore.

 

Cold sweat began running down Mark’s back and his chest felt like it was in a vice. Suddenly, more people stepped out of the shadows and he didn’t dwell on the thought of how long they stood there motionless, like mannequins. Even in the dim lighting, he could make out the faces of Bob, Jack, Yami, Tyler, and Molly. Under any other circumstances,he would feel at ease, but he could only dread what was going to happen next. Wade nudged him and held up something.

 

Though it wasn’t a thing, not to Mark, it was the Tiny Box Tim plushie that he cherished dearly. Sweat began forming on his forehead and even the joyful little biscuit couldn’t shake off how uncomfortable the atmosphere felt. Mark looked up at Wade, trying to see if his friend was faking a warm attitude. There was no lie in Wade’s face and it was terrifying.

 

“Are you ready to play the game, Mark?” Wade shook Tiny Box Tim, as if the adorable box was dancing in excitement.

 

“What game?” Mark cleared his throat, feeling unwell.

 

The room went black for a moment and when the dim lighting came back, Mark was in the center of the room, holding Tiny Box Tim. Molly and Bob stood by Mark, while Wade, Jack, Yami, and Tyler stood at their own corner of the room. Mark’s hands were cold even though his head was burning up and his ears perked up when Molly began humming.

 

Bob adjusted his glasses and crossed his arms over his chest. “This is how the Persona game works: Wade you’ll chant ‘Persona, Persona, come hither’ then go to Yami’s corner, then Yami chants the same thing, goes to Jack, rinse and repeat until everyone has a new corner.” Bob instructed calmly.

 

“The bets are still on, right?” Jack called out loudly.

 

“Of course,” Bob answered. “Though Wade will have to pay everyone for wasting our time if nothing happens, regardless of bets.”

 

Everyone except Molly, Mark, Wade, and Tiny Box Tim, chuckled.

 

Mark wanted to speak up, but for the moment he was tongue-tied. All he could do was watch as Wade chanted and walked over to Yami, who went towards Jack, who went towards Tyler.  Everyone made a full rotation and Mark’s inner ears felt like they were going to pop. Nobody else seemed to be affected.

 

After a minute of silence, Bob sighed in exasperation. “Looks like Wade’s buying dinner.” He stated, ignoring Wade’s outcry.

 

Then the room lit up as lightning shot out of nowhere and everyone began yelling in panic. Mark didn’t see the bolt coming, he only saw bright blue light and the moment of terror as his chest exploded. He could feel himself falling.

 

 

* * *

 

Mark opened his eyes to a world on its side and released a deep sigh of relief. Natural light filtered through, reassuring him that it was all a dream. He carried on with his usual morning routine, adding extra coffee to help wipe away the cobwebs, but every now and then, Mark caught himself putting his hand over his chest. Convincing himself it was only nerves, he headed to his recording room, eager to get something done.

 

Passing a window, Mark caught movement in his peripheral and he stopped. A kaleidoscope of butterflies were swarming outside of the window, their wings flashed a silvery blue color. Inside his brain, tension crept up like ivy vines and his chest ached deeply. Maybe he had enough coffee for the morning or maybe a bad storm was approaching? Mark heard the faint ring of small bells and he watched as the butterflies faded away.

 

“I’m awake.” Mark mumbled and chugged more coffee.

 

It was a poor convincing argument that did little to ease the mood. But he had to record, he had a schedule to keep up, and he promised all of them that he would do better.  Taking a moderate slurp of coffee, he settled down in his recording chair. There was a new game circulating around the internet that supposedly only worked for certain people. It was sort of a creepypasta that not only intrigued Mark, but his friends as well. When he inquired about the game, some anon sent him the link to it.

 

Mephisto was the title of the game.

 

As was the habit, Mark tweeted about how he was going to try it out. The majority of fans rejoiced, since only rumors existed about the game, but some were shaken. Mark had read the warnings: “I heard you’re never the same afterwards”, “You change”, “A friend of a friend’s cousin’s brother played it and DIED”, “I don’t know, Mark”. But it was a creepypasta game and while he appreciated the concern, there was something about the game that was fascinating.

 

Unknown territory. Mark sensed a new challenge and it excited him. But the strange occurrence of those butterflies and the dream before that still hovered over him. Regardless, the famous Youtuber moved his cursor over Mephisto’s file and clicked on it. Before he could even start up his recording and his intro, a blinding light flooded his vision.

 

He was falling again.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Flickers of orange bounced off of the stone walls, igniting a temporary sense of the environment Mark found himself in. He was holding a torch, but it felt fifty times heavier than it looked. His beating pulse throbbed in his eardrums as he stared into pure darkness. The fire danced frantically to keep the darkness away, but the fear of being swallowed by the darkness nestled in the crevices of Mark’s mind. Each step felt like a mistake and sweat began trickling down his forehead.

 

The torch was becoming heavier and yet the flames didn’t grow nor the size of the stick. A weariness snaked up Mark’s spine and thoughts of collapsing flooded to him. But when he tried to stop, he couldn’t and he tried putting the torch into his left hand. His right hand refused to release the torch. Panic started to settle in as Mark realized there was no indication of an end. He waved the torch around, seeing if there was another path to take or perhaps a hidden doorway.

 

There was nothing but unfathomable darkness.

 

Mark closed his eyes and breathed deeply; he couldn’t panic, he had to remember. When he opened his eyes, something was staring right back at him. It was a simple porcelain mask with gaping black pits where eyes would be and a smile that came off as smug. Mark stumbled backwards while yelling in fright, but the mask was still very close to his face.

 

The darkness all around him shifted and he realized that it was all connected to the mask. His torch’s warm light didn’t bounce off of the pale façade and he cried out when the ground shook. The mask began to speak in a distorted, booming, male voice.

 

“Only courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer.” The mask proclaimed and then countless hands shot out of the darkness, grabbing Mark.

 

A large hand pressed against his chest, digging its digits in and to his horror, the hand was phasing through. Mark screamed as the hand pulled something black like oil out of his chest; the pain was gut wrenching. Panic suddenly drew back as a receding tide and what replaced it was unbridled rage.

 

“You bastard!” Mark swung his arm that had the torch and the hands weren’t gripping as hard as before. Now the fire caught onto the creature and the whole area ignited into blue flames.

 

The masked creature chortled, disturbing Mark. “The stage is set, play to the best of your abilities.” The voice echoed as all the darkness receded into the mask, which blinked out of existence.

 

Mark collapsed, too tired to care about the blue flames that spread over him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Red was all Mark could see, until he slowly opened his eyelids. The sunlight was beaming on him, cooking him, and he straightened in his seat. Suddenly he jerked as he realized he wasn’t in his computer chair, but an individual bus seat. Groaning, Mark rubbed his temple and tried getting out of his seat.

 

“Mark, don’t get up, this bus driver has no qualms on slamming the brakes.” Wade spoke up from his seat across the aisle from Mark’s.

 

“Wade?” Mark watched his friend wave and then he saw Molly poke her head out from her window seat next to Wade. “Molly?”

 

“Are you okay?” Molly’s face was paler than usual and her voice sounded small.

 

“No, what the hell is going on?” Mark demanded and he looked around, seeing that Jack, Yami, Tyler, and Bob were further up. “Why are we on this bus? Why are you guys here?”

 

The bus lurched when the driver slammed the brakes, causing everyone to gasp in shock. “Welcome to Faust University.” The bus driver announced in a monotonous tone and leaned on the steering wheel.

 

Jack was the first in line and he patted the bus driver on the back. “It’s been fun, Steve!” Jack laughed when the bus driver waved him away and practically jumped out of the bus door.

 

Everyone else quietly thanked the bus driver as they hopped off and before they could even turn around and ask the bus driver questions, he sped away.  The whole group stood before a huge, sprawling campus, dumbfounded at their current situation. Mark sighed and faced the group.

 

“I may sound crazy, but is this a dream? Have I been sleeping throughout the whole trip?” Mark watched his friends’ faces scrunch up in deep thought.

 

“No,” Tyler answered. “Or yes.” Tyler crossed his arms over his chest, confused.

 

“The thing is, Mark,” Bob spoke up. “None of us have memory of preparing for this trip. We all woke up on that bus.”

 

Molly nodded her head. “I was the first one to wake up and the bus was dark, as if we were going through a tunnel. All of you were twitching and mumbling. But I don’t remember how we all got on the bus. I think, somehow, we’re dreaming.” She looked at Wade, then at everyone else.

 

“Oh my God, you mean like Inception?” Jack blurted and grinned. “That would make sense, because in a dream, you never know how you got to a place!” His Irish brogue accented every word, but everyone knew him long enough to understand his rapid sentences. “But we don’t have the weird machines and I do know we weren’t at a convention together. So why are we all here?” Jack fell silent and stroked his chin.

 

Mark watched as all his friends turned their eyes on him. He almost shrugged his shoulders, but he remembered that the last thing he did was click on something. “Mephisto.” He voiced and everyone’s eyes lit up with epiphany.

 

“Dude, I remember me and Molly were going to stream it!” Wade snapped his fingers, proud he was able to make a connection. “Tyler was there too, weren’t you, Tyler?”

 

“That’s right, I was there.” Tyler gaped, also realizing the connection.

 

Bob looked off to the side. “Mandy was out doing something, so I wanted to test the game before I recorded.” He said more to himself than the group.

 

Yami coughed lightly and raised his hand a little. “I, uh, I was going to record. I clicked the file and everything went black.”

 

“Same, bro!” Jack patted Yami’s back, finding the situation amusing.

 

Mark rubbed the nape of his neck, a little relieved that he wasn’t alone in experiencing the strange event. “I was going to record too. Maybe that dream was more of a warning.” Mark found that his friends fell silent and seemed paler. “What’s wrong?”

“I had a dream that we were in a dark room.” Yami’s voice faltered and he looked at his shoes. “We were playing some weird summoning game.”

 

Everyone spoke up in unison, “The Persona game.”

 

“BRRRRRRRM.” Jack made the iconic sound associated with the movie Inception and everyone laughed, despite the bizarre circumstances.

 

The soft jingling of bells caught Mark’s attention and he whipped around. Near the the front doors of the University was the same kaleidoscope of butterflies, except they were glowing brightly. Without telling his friends, Mark ran towards the butterflies and heard his friends running after him. Mark reached out towards the butterflies just as he felt his friend's hands on his back.

 

Everything went white and silent.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2-Welcome to the Velvet Room

_The night is still, the streets are quiet,_

_In this house lived my Love;_

_She left the town long before,_

_Yet her house is still standing in the same place._

_There I also see a man standing and staring into the heavens,_

_Wringing his hands in violent grief._

_I shudder when I behold his face;_

_The moon reveals to me my own likeness._

_You Doppelgänger, you pale companion!_

_Why do you mimic my love sickness,_

_That tormented me at this place_

_For so many nights in the past?_

—"Der Doppelgänger"

 

 

* * *

 

 

String music wafted into Mark’s ears and his eyes fluttered open. As the sound of more string instruments trembled in, he realized he was floating in midair and he began flailing around.

 

‘ _Fudge nuts,_ ’ Mark expected to suddenly drop, since he kept falling every other time he ‘woke up’. But he kept the same steady, slow descent. ‘ _Oh sure the one time I’m ready—_ ’

 

Then a strong, female voice sang out an operatic tune that froze Mark’s heart.

 

‘ _Where is she? I don’t see anyone down below._ ’ Mark raised his eyebrows as he noticed the entire room was a deep royal blue. ‘It feels as if I’m sinking into an ocean.’ He swallowed and flexed his fingers.

 

Everything in the room was a deep royal blue, even the large circular table and the chairs. Mark saw his friends were also being brought down, all of them reacting to the situation differently. Molly and Wade were holding hands, both silently preparing for the landing. Bob readied himself in a standing position, bracing himself for any sudden change in gravity.

 

“This isn’t that bad, as long as it continues being slow like this.” Yami quietly reasoned, though he was flailing a little.

 

“Dudes, what if we all gained superpowers?” Jack put his forefingers against the sides of his head and furrowed his eyebrows. “Nope, no dice. Man, don’t tell me we all got this turtle floating power!” Jack shook his head and then did a backflip, though he remained upside down.

 

Tyler was facing Mark and he made his way closer. “There’s someone down there.” He muttered to Mark, making a subtle nod over by the table.

 

“Can’t be, I just looked—” Mark choked on his words when he noticed the vague outline of someone sitting at the table.

 

The music was louder as everyone gently landed on the floor with a soft thud, though it was enough impact on Jack’s head to make him release a few choice words. Eventually, everyone stopped murmuring once they noticed someone was sitting across the table. The song played on loop, but the soprano’s voice was so beautiful and haunting, Mark didn’t bring it up. Besides that wasn’t as important as trying to figure out who was seated in the blue lounge chair.

 

Mark stepped closer to the table in order to get a better look. ‘What’s this elderly guy doing here? He seems to be sleeping? His eyes are huge, like an insect’s eyes.’ He visibly made a face when he saw the enormous nose the old man had; there was no way he was going to forget this man’s face.

 

Suddenly, the elderly man opened his eyes and everyone screamed in terror. The eyes were popped out and bloodshot. The large grin the man wore did not put anyone at ease and Jack began murmuring the word “goblin”. Mark jumped when the man waved his right hand dramatically.

 

“Welcome to the Velvet Room, I am delighted to meet your acquaintance.” The goblin-looking man greeted eloquently and once he resumed resting his head with the backs of his hands, large blue curtains fell down behind him. The whole group gasped and shouted in awe when the giant windows revealed outerspace.

 

“Who are you? What is this place?” Mark blurted and he noticed the outline of someone standing near one of the windows. “Who—”

 

“ _My_ name is Igor,” The large-nosed man introduced himself as well as his suit looked. “And this place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place.”

 

Wade stood beside Mark and scratched his head. “We didn’t sign anything, though, uh, Igor.”

 

Igor’s toothy grin didn’t shift as he chuckled, disturbing everyone. “Oh, but you have. Your joined dreaming garnered my master’s interest and you even sought out your ordeal. Thusly, you all have signed the contract.” After his calm explanation, Igor hovered his right hand over the table and a flash of light went off. Once the light faded, several sheets of paper appeared, all of them binding contracts with signatures.

 

“Oh shoot.” Wade mumbled under his breath.

 

Mark clenched his fists, “Is your ‘master’, Mephisto? Is this so called ordeal some sick game?” his voice raised by the second question.

 

“My master,” Igor briefly shut his eyes. “Is Philemon.”

 

Mark’s gut sank when he heard the name and he kept his anger in check. This moment of silence encouraged Igor to speak up once more.

 

“Your ordeal is no mere game, though it is disguised as such.” Igor waved his hand, dismissing all the contracts. “I sense great potential in you.” His beady pupils focused on Mark. “All of you.” Igor added and swept a glance at everyone.

 

The pain that had been dwelling in Mark’s chest increased and he clenched his fists. ‘ _What did we get ourselves into?_ ’ He shook his head and almost raised another question, but Molly spoke up.

 

“I’d like to know. How did we end up here?” Molly kept her voice steady, but she didn’t make eye contact with Igor.

 

“Ah, well, it appears that you all ran into the wall and fell into unconsciousness.” Igor shut his eyes as the group groaned at their own stupidity. “Soon, you will wake and your ordeal will have manifested. Until we meet again, farewell.”

 

“Wait!” Mark reached forward, but everything went white.

 

* * *

 

 

When Mark saw color again, there was no blue, but a wide array of neutral colors. He was sitting in a recliner and everyone else was coming out of their unconsciousness.

 

“Getting tired of this crap.” Mark growled.

 

“You and me both, what’s with this vague dream-within-a-dream crap?” Wade groaned as he peeled himself off the sofa.

 

Bob took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I think that we’ve crossed into another dimension. By clicking on the game file, we agreed to come here.” Bob put his glasses back on and stood up from his spot next to Wade. “Igor said something about a contract. If that’s the case, we have to agree to the terms and fulfill our end.”

 

“Ordeal doesn’t sound pleasant.” Yami muttered as he sat up from his recliner. “But I’m glad I’m not alone in this.” He smiled at everyone.

 

Jack jumped to his feet next to Bob. “Well the sooner it pops up, the sooner we can beat it and go home!”

 

“I think it’s something multifaceted. It won’t be as simple as a beat ‘em up.” Tyler spoke up gently from his spot on the floor.

 

Molly trotted into the living room with a grim expression on her face. “I don’t know how to explain this, but Igor’s right. I,” she wiped her mouth and crossed her arms over her chest. “I sense there’s something big on this campus. Big and unnerving.”

 

It was a strange situation for everyone; the questions hung in the air, but Molly’s serious expression hushed the demand for logic. “Do you know where it is specifically?” Wade moved over by Molly and looked at her with concern.

 

The blonde young woman put a hand to her right temple and shut her eyes, as if concentrating. “I think so. There’s,” Molly opened her eyes, but they were distant. “There’s a wing on this campus that’s under construction...That’s where the unnerving sensation is coming from.” She snapped out of her daze and gripped her arms tighter. “Does anyone feel like there’s someone else in this room with us?”

 

“Molly, are you going to be okay?” Wade gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

 

“I will be once we find whatever I’m sensing and destroy it.” Molly answered and looked at Mark. “What do you think?”

 

Mark felt all eyes on him and he put his right hand into his left, a nervous action. “I am not a leader by any means. So we’ll decide as a group; should we go?” He scanned his friends faces and saw their silent agreement. “Alright then, let’s go. Molly, lead the way.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Regret seeped into every pore of Mark’s body as they walked out of the dormitory and headed towards the main campus building. There were people around, but they didn’t look like people. They were faded like old photographs and while they could interact with the physical environment, they would clip slightly. As if they were stuck between two different dimensions. Their faces were blurred out, smudged, and even when Mark tried focusing on their features, nothing was clarified. He turned his attention to Wade and Molly, who were walking beside him.

 

“Are these guys making you feel uneasy, Molly?” Mark muttered under his breath.

 

“No, it’s hard to explain, but they’re light and nonthreatening.” Molly appeared paler as they kept walking. “It’s nothing compared to what’s on the other side of campus.” She swallowed and took a deep breath.

 

The campus was massive and it took the group another ten minutes before Molly stopped. Where they were before resembled the real world and while it was peculiar, it wasn’t malicious. However this area was duller in tone, almost like a wet newspaper picture. Everything was smeared and the human-like figures jerked violently as if they were glitching out. They were living shadows.

 

“It’s like that level in Metal Gear Solid 3 where you fight The Sorrow.” Jack commented as he walked up to a human figure. “Kids these days and their caffeine.” He quipped and put a hand on the figure’s shoulder.

 

The figure revealed a huge, maniacal grin and a single, large eye opened in the middle of the figure’s head. “Jack.” It moaned with its distorted voice.

 

“Whoa, put that back in, please!” Jack stepped back as the figure tried leaning forward.

 

Other shadows began stumbling towards the group, all moaning or crying out their names. The one closest to Mark wailed and it formed a pink mustache, while on its chest a bright red heart throbbed. Another shadow grew large claws and formed a tiny crown on its head while reaching for Wade. Bob voiced disgust when the shadow by him grew a massive head and began jerking it rapidly. Yami screamed at the top of his lungs when a shadow with a Y shaped head kept bashing itself with its meat tenderizer shaped hands.

 

“Don’t let them touch you!” Molly yelled as she ran past a shadow donning fox ears. “Over here guys, the door!” She stood by the large doors that looked as if they belonged to a Medieval castle.

 

The group charged towards Molly, all of them doing their best to dodge the lunging shadows. Tyler grabbed Wade and pulled him away from a massive shadow that looked like it was made of stone. There was no time for words, they merely nodded at each other and kept running. The chorus of screaming and wailing intensified to the point of making Mark feel dizzy.

 

Molly already entered the room and held the door open for the rest of the group. Once everyone made it in Molly slammed the door and cringed when numerous loud thuds sounded off. “I didn’t sign up for a horror game, what gives?” Molly breathed out.

 

“That was some freaky-deaky!” Jack straightened his cap. “Hey, uh, sorry guys, my bad.”

 

“It was only a matter of time.” Bob reasoned as he looked at the door. “There was a type for each of us.”

 

“A sick twist to the people who follow us.” Tyler added and adjusted his glasses.

 

‘ _There’s nothing here but darkness._ ’Mark looked around and his heart sank into his bowels. ‘ _Just like that cave. It’s even moving the same way. Great._ ’ He released a deep sigh and felt himself choking up. ‘ _I’m sick and tired of this oppressive air._ ’ Something caught his eye and he saw a large, glowing staircase poking above the black sea with a massive door. ‘ _That darkness already tore something out of me, is everyone else going to suffer the same fate?_ ’ His legs gave away and he collapsed to his knees. ‘ _I can’t help anyone, not like this._ ’ He began hyperventilating and the group noticed and went to Mark’s side.

 

Suddenly, the sea began to separate into individual shadows and they all began morphing into the forms lurking outside. The shadows took their time walking towards the group; they knew they had the advantage. Mark looked up and saw all of the malicious grins and heard the victory screeches. Sweat was soaking his shirt and he clutched his chest tightly.

 

“Mark,” Wade touched his best friend on the shoulder, but he jerked it back. “Oh my God, you’re burning up!”

 

Not even hearing Wade’s exclamation, Mark glared at all the shadows, his panic turning into something else. “It’s not ending like this,” Mark growled as he stood to his feet. “I deny this fate!” He roared and a bright blue flame erupted on his face.

 

In that moment, Mark could hear his heartbeat and the bells chimed louder with the rhythm of his heart. His head felt like it exploded, but all he could do was grin. While everyone else screamed in horror or cursed profusely, Mark calmly placed his right hand over his burning face.

 

“Per…” Mark muttered under his breath. “ ** _So_** …” He clutched the blue fire and held his fist out towards the shadows. “ _ **Na!**_ ” Mark shouted and opened his palm.

 

A ring of blue fire surrounded Mark for an instant and then there was a huge man floating above him. He looked like Mark, except more muscular and he was dressed formally. Before anyone could voice anything, the giant released a war cry and slammed both of his fists down, creating a wave of fire to ripple the sea of darkness. All the shadows screamed when they disintegrated to blackened ash.

 

When the giant turned around, everyone gasped. It was Mark, but not exactly Mark with a huge pink mustache.

 

“Thou art I and I am thou,” The giant man’s voice rumbled, causing everyone’s chests to vibrate. “From the sea of thy soul, I come to you. I am Wilford Warfstache, and I take no crap from nobody!” Warfstache declared proudly and crossed his arms over his chest.

 

“So freakin’ cool!” Jack laughed and clapped his hands. “Dude, you cleared out the whole room!”

 

Yami gaped up at the giant, sweat forming on his forehead. “We might be able to do this.” He mused.

 

Tyler approached Mark and patted him on the back. “Thanks for saving our skins,” His smile shrank when he realized Mark wasn’t responding. “Mark?”

 

Wade tentatively put on had on Mark’s shoulder. “Mark, talk to us, buddy.”

 

“I don’t feel—” Mark whispered and passed out.

 

Tyler and Wade caught Mark before he smacked into the floor. They flinched when Warfstache exploded into blue flames and dissipated.

 

“We need to head back to the dorm,” Tyler advised and everyone nodded.

 

“What about those things out there?” Yami pointed to the door and shook his head. “We may be safer in here.”

 

Jack strutted up to the door, removed his hat and pressed his ear against the wood. “Everything’s quiet out there, if we run like the wind, we can make it.” He put his hat back on and grinned at the group.

 

“I think whatever Mark did, cleared this area.” Molly rubbed her forehead and then looked at Yami. “We’ll be okay, Yami.” She reassured with a small smile.

 

“Okay guys, let’s go!” Wade shouted and Jack pushed the door wide open.

 

 

* * *

 

 

This time a lone piano played the tune of the Velvet Room and when Mark opened his eyes, he was seated in one of the lounge chairs. ‘ _There he is, the lovely Igor._ ’ Mark commented dryly and a shiver ran down his spine when they made eye contact. ‘ _No wonder my head is hurting._ ’

 

Igor chuckled, “We meet again, so soon. I must say that of all of our past guests, you are extraordinarily quick to face your ordeal.”

 

Mark crossed his arms over his chest and sighed deeply. “What, you expected us to enjoy the lovely weather for a week? No, we need to get back home.”

 

The goblin man nodded sagely and he stuck an arm out. “Well, then there’s no need to delay in showing you _her_.” His large pupils shifted to the side, making Mark cringe.

‘ _Her? What does he mean by her?_ ’ Mark thought and gladly looked away from Igor.

 

A young woman somehow materialized next to Igor, but her back was to Mark. She had a massive blue book cradled in her right hand and was mumbling to herself. “Okay so I say...and then...but is that too much?” Were the only words Mark picked up. Igor cleared his throat and the young woman snapped to attention. When she turned around and saw Mark, she slammed the book shut and dropped it.

 

“Shoot,” The young woman hissed and without looking at anyone, she swiftly picked up the book. “Just like an Emperor, always rush, rush, rush.” She grumbled, but then flushed realizing she spoke rather than thought.

 

Igor silently watched the young woman and said nothing when she placed the book on the table.

 

‘ _Emperor? I hope she’s not talking about me._ ’ Mark raised an eyebrow when the young woman turned around and adjusted her dark blue petticoat. He looked at her black hair, which was cut short, but it was a mass of curls. When she turned around, her hair bounced and went back to perfectly frame her round face.

 

That was when he noticed her piercing, golden eyes and black lipstick. ‘ _Whoa, intense._ ’ Mark had both eyebrows raised now.

 

The young woman dressed in blue bowed a little and smiled politely. “I am Lenore, I will assist you on your journey. Whatever the end may be.” Her voice was low, but it carried well.

 

“How exactly will you assist me?” Mark shut his eyes, realizing he worded the question inappropriately. “I meant, for this supposed journey. I’m getting information, but I still don’t have the answers.” He adjusted his glasses; the sweat was making them slide down.

 

Lenore grabbed her book and opened it, though the pages flipped of their own accord. “Well, only you can find the answer,” she scanned every turned page, until she nodded. “I believe it was ‘Only courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer’, meaning that in this journey, you will be tested.”

 

“That’s what that monster in my dream said, before it ripped something out of me. What does that mean?”

Without looking up at him, Lenore showed him the page she was looking at. On the page was something similar to a gif playing of Mark grinning and summoning something off camera. Beneath it was two pictures that resembled cards. Mark noticed Lenore had long, dark blue nails and she tapped one of them on the card images.

 

“You are of the Emperor Arcana and also the Fool Arcana.” Lenore explained calmly. “It has been ages since we’ve last seen a guest harbor two main Arcana, right Master?” She lowered the book, but was looking at Igor for confirmation.

 

‘ _She didn’t bat an eye that I said ‘monster from my dream_ ’, _maybe she can explain a few things._ ’ Mark noticed Igor only nodded, but was allowing Lenore to do all the talking. “Lenore, why did you call me an emperor and a fool?” He smirked slightly. “I get fool, but I’m no ruler.”

 

The Velvet Room attendant returned her gaze to her book. “The Arcana, they represent the best and the worst of you. The Emperor represents the strong desire for control, the leader,” Lenore locked eyes with Mark. “And the father figure. While admirable traits, if not kept in check, the Emperor can do more harm than good. After all, how much can he control?”

 

‘ _It’s like she’s staring through me._ ’ Mark gulped. ‘ _Is she challenging me?_ ’ He maintained eye contact, but the moment passed and Lenore was back to looking at the book.

 

“The Fool is similar to the number zero: empty, and yet full of infinite possibilities.” Lenore explained as if she had done so many times before.

 

“Is that why I did the thing? The flaming face thing?” Mark put his hand in front of his face and mimicked the motion he did earlier.

 

“Summoning your Persona?” Lenore smirked for a second, then retained her stoic expression.

 

“My what? I thought that was just a dream too.” A deep groan gurgled in Mark’s throat and he put his hands through his hair. “What is reality? I feel so lost and confused and I hate it!”

 

“You summoned your Persona. Think of it as a mask you wear for certain occasions.” Lenore kept her tone calm and soothing. “Warfstache, was it? Hm, a new one for the Compendium. He rose from the depths of your soul to aide you. Otherwise the shadows would’ve consumed you and your friends.”

 

“My friends...Wait, where are my friends?” Mark stood up and looked around. “Nothing about this makes sense!”

 

Lenore closed the book and looked at Mark’s left shoulder. “Don’t worry, they’ll appear here soon, but not right now. I will do my best to help you find the answer.” She bowed elegantly, but as she went to stand up, she dropped the book again.

 

Before Mark could reach out to help, everything began fading to black.

 

“Until we meet again.” Igor murmured.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Ch2) The poem is from the original opening of Persona 2.  
> The first paragraph describes the music of "Poem for Everyone's Souls-Arranged" which is a lovely rendition of the theme.  
> Just a fun fact that the protagonist of Persona One is an Emperor/Fool. I've always loved the idea of have dual arcana.  
> Everyone can enter the Velvet Room, just like in Persona 1 and 2.  
> The theme playing the second time Mark's in the Velvet Room is the iconic tune "Poem for Everyone's Souls".  
> The scene of Mark summoning a Persona was heavily inspired by Persona 1's theme "Awakening Legend".

**Author's Note:**

> The term 'kaleidoscope' means a group of butterflies.
> 
> I am a huge fan of the Persona series, so this crossover will have a fusion of all the Persona games put into this story. There will be a lot of references as well. This idea has been bouncing around in my head for months and I decided it was time to write it. I was heavily inspired to do this crossover after watching all of Markiplier's Five Nights at F****boy's let's play where a few tracks from the Persona games played. Watching him jam out to the songs furthered my drive to write this. lol
> 
> Also I may not write out a full year, it was more of a reference to the Persona games where the protagonists are given a year.


End file.
